Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, November 5

From Neal in Israel, a gorgeous hemerocallis, with coral plant flowers in the background:

Katy, shalom,
Last week we had the first real rain of the new Jewish/farming year, and so summer is officially over, and fall has officially begun.

Uplifting. More to come from Neal as gardening winds down for some of us here in North America.

Got any flowers left in your garden?

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

NorCal Sierra Foothills Lurker again. Had to pick our pomegranates before the rain came and made them split open. Had huge crop from only one bush. Pictures only show a few. Lost some in last month's rain that split open before ripe. Making juice and grenadine for Christmas gifts should keep me busy for a while. Love the gardening thread. Thank you so much for your efforts!

Those look great! You sound busy.

Heirloom rainbow beefsteaks. Beautiful when sliced. The first of our melons and pumpkins. An unripe beefsteak from a plant we over-wintered in the green house. I don't think the weather will cooperate to ripen it but it grew pretty big.
S.Lynn, Idaho
P.S. Met up with fellow treasure valley gardener Pat and Pat's husband at a local winery. Had fun swapping stories and they really liked our local winery. Very scenic (Koenig).

Wow. Those tomatoes look great! Looks like you are utilizing your dryer again.
The melons and pumpkins look pretty good, too. Need any help eating them?

Maybe you can make fried green tomatoes from that big specimen from the over-wintered plant. I've never been successful at that!

Cucumber, tomato and onion salad is a great way to enjoy heirloom tomatoes and garden cucumbers. But marinated salads are also a little more forgiving than other salads when the flavor of tomatoes starts to decline in cooler fall weather.

Season as desired. Southern Living has their own favorite combination of herbs.

They also recommend using the salad ingredients in a sandwich. I think that's a great idea. On good, buttered bread.

Are you harvesting anything? Got a recipe or tip to share?

From Gordon:

Someone in our park (or, who knows, people from elsewhere use our dumpsters) had an orange tree cut down. The branches were stuffed in the dumpsters. I grabbed a dozen green oranges. They'll be perfectly ripe in a couple of months, and the proper color. But they are sweet and orangey right now.

Sometimes home-grown oranges are not as orange when ripe as store-bought oranges appear to be. Sometimes the latter are even dyed.

Love in the Garden

From Neal in Israel:

For the Love Life of the Invertebrates segment which you opened with the picture of the mating cicadas, I can offer the following series which I call "Snails Just Wanna Have Fun". We came back late a few nights ago and came across scene Number 1. A bit later, the big guy had had enough, while a new partner approached (2). Then, the partying resumed (3).

Gardens of The Horde

From Gordon:

My Mesa AZ aloe plant is finally looking healthy again. It is healthy enough it is hiving off two baby aloe.

Awww. . . Babies!

From Neal in Israel:

Coral plant flowers (which are on the bush all year)

Lovely.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Oct. 29

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:16 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 First?

Posted by: InZona (formerly InCali) at November 05, 2022 01:17 PM (ep37o)

2 First!

Posted by: InZona (formerly InCali) at November 05, 2022 01:17 PM (ep37o)

3 No content read...

Posted by: InZona (formerly InCali) at November 05, 2022 01:18 PM (ep37o)

4 Hello? Hello, hello, helloooo...

Posted by: InZona (formerly InCali) at November 05, 2022 01:20 PM (ep37o)

5 My mom's orange daylilies still bloom every year. They've been in the same place for decades and get little care or maintenance. Hardy flowers, for sure.

Posted by: huerfano at November 05, 2022 01:24 PM (dTFZY)

6 Mother Nature, in 50mph gusts, is doing a fine job of raking all my leaves to . . uh . . . somewhere

Posted by: 2009Refugee at November 05, 2022 01:25 PM (Orf1m)

7 Mother Nature is also helping Northestern.

Posted by: InZona (formerly InCali) at November 05, 2022 01:26 PM (ep37o)

8 Northwestern.

Posted by: InZona (formerly InCali) at November 05, 2022 01:26 PM (ep37o)

9 If that coral plant blooms all year like that, it's a real garden asset. Looks good for hummingbirds.

Posted by: KT at November 05, 2022 01:29 PM (rrtZS)

10 Hashem makes the wind blow and the rain fall

Good thing I brought my umbrella

Posted by: San Franpsycho at November 05, 2022 01:31 PM (EZebt)

11 Beautiful images and great post. Thanks.

Posted by: Mrs. JTB at November 05, 2022 01:37 PM (7EjX1)

12 High winds here have removed the last of my leaves. But also put half of my Bradford pear on the ground. Looks like next weekend is gonna be cleaning that mess and dropping the rest of the tree. I live on tippy top of a hill where there is always a breeze at the minimum. When the winds get uppity my hill gets pounded.

Posted by: Madamemayhem (uppity wench) at November 05, 2022 01:44 PM (Wy1BU)

13 I wonder if the snails are edible? For the French? I know they're not Kosher, but maybe the French?

Posted by: Eromero at November 05, 2022 01:47 PM (gktX6)

14 I wonder if the snails are edible? For the French? I know they're not Kosher, but maybe the French?
Posted by: Eromero
------

I'll have to go with the crickets.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at November 05, 2022 01:49 PM (vILiQ)

15 Aloe Aloe!

Posted by: BBC at November 05, 2022 01:51 PM (63Dwl)

16 13 I wonder if the snails are edible? For the French? I know they're not Kosher, but maybe the French?

Posted by: Eromero at November 05, 2022 01:47 PM (gktX6)

Are any snails less edible than other snails? I consider them all inedible, but are there poisonous or bitter varieties? Like mushrooms?

Posted by: a.moron at November 05, 2022 02:03 PM (F6Xpw)

17 I wonder if the snails are edible?

Posted by: Eromero at November 05, 2022 01:47 PM (gktX6)

I think the edible ones are exactly those...garden snails.

But it's just a vehicle for butter and garlic!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 05, 2022 02:04 PM (XIJ/X)

18 Got any flowers left in your garden?

yes: impatiens, petunias, pansies, some pink salvia and hummingbird mint. Also nicotiana and celosia, and of course, chrysanthemums

Posted by: kallisto at November 05, 2022 02:05 PM (dCxaZ)

19 I love pomegranate juice. I can imagine that eating fresh pomegranates is a real treat!

Posted by: kallisto at November 05, 2022 02:07 PM (dCxaZ)

20 For some reason, I can't find cheap 6-packs of pansies to plant for winter. I can only find singles in 4-in pots. That's overkill, not to mention expensive.

Posted by: Emmie at November 05, 2022 02:07 PM (Emce2)

21 >>>I think the edible ones are exactly those...garden snails.

But it's just a vehicle for butter and garlic!

>I would never pay to eat another snail. I don't care how much wine and butter you put on it, I'd only eat it if I had to.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at November 05, 2022 02:07 PM (geVLo)

22 But it's just a vehicle for butter and garlic!

like their seafaring cousins, the mussels

Posted by: kallisto at November 05, 2022 02:08 PM (dCxaZ)

23 I had no idea grenadine was made with pomegranates. I thought it was a cherry concoction.

Posted by: Emmie at November 05, 2022 02:09 PM (Emce2)

24 all the flowers in my post @ 18 were volunteers, except the impatiens. Nature helped me out this year

Posted by: kallisto at November 05, 2022 02:09 PM (dCxaZ)

25 Love the coral bells!

Posted by: Emmie at November 05, 2022 02:10 PM (Emce2)

26 Purdy flower pics from Neal. I can't fathom just throwing oranges still on the branches in a dumpster, never having lived where citrus could be a backyard tree.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at November 05, 2022 02:11 PM (3cGpq)

27 Nature helped me out this year
Posted by: kallisto at November 05, 2022 02:09 PM (dCxaZ)

What a happy occurrence!

Posted by: Emmie at November 05, 2022 02:11 PM (Emce2)

28 Garlic and butter covers a lot of sins, CBD.

Posted by: Eromero at November 05, 2022 02:13 PM (gktX6)

29 >>> I can't fathom just throwing oranges still on the branches in a dumpster, never having lived where citrus could be a backyard tree.

Posted by: PaleRider

>My buddy in LA had lemons, limes, oranges, pomegranates and avacados in his back yard. He'd call us up and tell us when they were ripe and then we would get steaks and beer and go over molest his trees.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at November 05, 2022 02:16 PM (geVLo)

30
like their seafaring cousins, the mussels
Posted by: kallisto
------

Look, it's an honest living, okay?

Posted by: Molly Malone at November 05, 2022 02:17 PM (Dat+p)

31 Oh man how I wish I didn’t kill anything with leaves. Gardeners, knowing that I am really, really bad at this, please don’t judge. I have Hydrangeas (I still only have the landscape package from the builder who did my house. Luckily it was a custom build so I got more than most, but still…it’s a builder landscape package. See above). I actually really like them, but am I supposed to cut off the dead flowers? Do I cut off the flowers when they bloom in summer or only now as we head into our version of winter?

I also have these palm things in one of our back little garden areas that are growing like no one’s business. It looks like the precursor to Jurassic park, except I don’t like them. I just don’t know enough of what to do to dig them up and replace them with something less…frondy.

Posted by: Piper at November 05, 2022 02:19 PM (ZdaMQ)

32 But it's just a vehicle for butter and garlic!
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo
--------

Ah! Much like French toast and, uh...never mind.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at November 05, 2022 02:19 PM (wQZYr)

33 I am trying to figure out what to do as far as planting my roses. I was going to plant by the house but it's a shallow area. Front is shaded. And I am going to have to hire someone to dig holes. I just get exhausted too easily right now. The ground is still dry and baked. It may be easier to work in the spring. And I may have a load of topsoil brought in. I am not a fan of raised beds but fresh soil may be the easiest way to get going in the spring.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at November 05, 2022 02:20 PM (uz3Px)

34 29 my neighbor has a satsuma tree and a kumquat tree. I never knew how yummy kumquats are and we all get so many satsumas off that tree, they are delicious, too. We can grow citrus here. I mean normal people can. I am sure I would kill the tree in about a week just by walking near it.

Posted by: Piper at November 05, 2022 02:24 PM (ZdaMQ)

35 Still have three bell pepper plants in pots, with buds, blooms, and small fruits. Right now they're in my kitchen under light because of weather, but I'm still managing to get some sun on them by setting them outside on good days. Don't know if they'll ever turn red but hoping for at least some sweet green ones.

Four more months and I can start tomato seedlings!

Posted by: skywch at November 05, 2022 02:25 PM (uqhmb)

36 It's nice to have friends that will groom your trees/orchard for you so you don't have to pick up fruit rotting in your lawn. Plus you get a steak dinner and beer. Win-win!

Posted by: Dr. Bone at November 05, 2022 02:29 PM (geVLo)

37 test

Posted by: pawn at November 05, 2022 02:34 PM (kYVzH)

38 Big storm last night. Blew down a section of fence.
While repairing it I saw a few slugs getting lucky. I thought about some salt, but then, naaa...why ruin it for them?

Posted by: Diogenes at November 05, 2022 02:35 PM (anj39)

39 Snails are OK but there are so many better things on the menu.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at November 05, 2022 02:37 PM (EZebt)

40 Neal, just a beautiful picture!

Posted by: Diogenes at November 05, 2022 02:37 PM (anj39)

41 Those pomegranates are a beautiful color Im sure they're delicious. Im a pom addict

Posted by: San Franpsycho at November 05, 2022 02:41 PM (EZebt)

42 Diogenes @ 38-
Our storm last night brought the redworms outa the ground all over the place. Neighbor ducks doing the buffet day.

Posted by: Eromero at November 05, 2022 02:41 PM (/RDPd)

43 The Garden Thread: Come for the pretty flowers, run from the mating snails!

Happy news in the backyard: The Sword of Damocles, a dead branch hanging high in the tree FINALLY came down. I was afraid to do yardwork because it was so huge. Its weight drove one end about 5 inches into the ground and part of it broke off and hit the side the of the deck. No damage that I could see.

Now I can run the lawnmower on bagger-mode and burn the leaves.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at November 05, 2022 02:42 PM (/+bwe)

44 Notsothoreau at November 05, 2022 02:20 PM

The best time to plant roses is when they are dormant. So, in California, about January. Moving north, progressively later.

If the plants are in pots, be careful to unwind the roots.

Posted by: KT at November 05, 2022 02:43 PM (rrtZS)

45 Meanwhile my oranges are ripening. I have 7 120+ year old navel orange trees from the original groves that surrounded san bernardino.

Posted by: Genzconservativist at November 05, 2022 02:43 PM (pmoqr)

46 I need to come up with a fake malady to keep from having to deal with the leaves in the yard.

Posted by: Weasel at November 05, 2022 02:43 PM (0IeYL)

47 [ waves to KT ]

Posted by: 40 Miles North at November 05, 2022 02:46 PM (uWF4x)

48 From Boise area: What a wet week! It even snowed a bit on the 4th, then rained all day - the area right behind my kitchen window was a deep puddle... I need to get the studded tires on my car if it's going to snow this early in the season.

Maple stump got cut down. Still haven't found time (or decent weather!) to split our pile of logs (from this and other trees).

Husband steam-juiced all the chokecherries I saved, both the blacker ones and the dark red ones. It may end up that the only ones fit for jelly making are the blacker ones - I only have 2-3 trees that produce them... We still need to fish the red raspberry bags out of the chest freezer and steam-juice those.

Tomorrow is supposed to be dry - I need to spend the day stuffing the trash with tomato vines, and stuffing leaves into leaf bags.

I'm working on processing poblano peppers - so far I've cut up the smaller/weirdly shaped ones for casseroles. Still need to turn the best ones into rellenos for the freezer.

I saw a few Johnny Jump-Ups out by the shed the last time I went out, but that'll be it for flowers here for many months.

Posted by: Pat* at November 05, 2022 02:47 PM (540/r)

49 >>>I need to come up with a fake malady to keep from having to deal with the leaves in the yard.

Posted by: Weasel

>We just had 5 hours of 40 mph winds. Just make a pile where the wind blows thru like a windtunnel and share the wealth with your neighbors.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at November 05, 2022 02:49 PM (geVLo)

50 Although I did buy a leaf shredding contraption for WW which I'll need to set up for her to use.

Posted by: Weasel at November 05, 2022 02:49 PM (0IeYL)

51 Posted by: Dr. Bone at November 05, 2022 02:49 PM (geVLo)
----
Yikes! Lots of trees here so the upwind neighbors are fighting back!

Posted by: Weasel at November 05, 2022 02:51 PM (0IeYL)

52 Weasel @ 46-
Yard leaves can give you Leaf-Nosed Bat virus if you rake them. The virus makes you resemble a.....welll....a Leaf-Nosed Bat. But the best part is you can maneuver and fire at night . Life is filled with trade-offs and compromises.

Posted by: Eromero at November 05, 2022 02:51 PM (zWsLO)

53 Posted by: Eromero at November 05, 2022 02:51 PM (zWsLO)
----
Good to know!

Posted by: Weasel at November 05, 2022 02:52 PM (0IeYL)

54 Weasel, ask WW to give you girl-cooties. That ought to do it.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at November 05, 2022 02:54 PM (/+bwe)

55 We've decided to relocate back to Texas in preparation for retirement. I gotta figure out how to move a few of my gladiolus, day lillies and lemon drop poker plants I put in this last spring. The moving company won't do plants.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at November 05, 2022 02:54 PM (tBR6g)

56 19 I love pomegranate juice. I can imagine that eating fresh pomegranates is a real treat!

Posted by: kallisto at November 05, 2022 02:07 PM (dCxaZ)
----
I seem to remember it was a nuisance to eat - too many seeds. Also astringent taste. Also custard-apple, delicious and sweet but seeds.

Posted by: Ciampino - memories at November 05, 2022 02:54 PM (qfLjt)

57 I belong to a Facebook group where people advertise for folks to come over and harvest their trees. Plus, there are quite a few citrus trees in the park, and sometimes the owners will set out a box or tub with fruit for the taking.

Last spring I put up about 40 20-oz bottles of grapefruit juice. I use old Gatorade bottles. I thought that would get me through, but I was wrong.

Posted by: Gordon Scott at November 05, 2022 02:56 PM (VvMZN)

58 49 >>>I need to come up with a fake malady to keep from having to deal with the leaves in the yard.

Posted by: Weasel

Post-prandial upper-abdominal distention.

Posted by: Dr. Leonard McCoy at November 05, 2022 02:57 PM (PiwSw)

59 Damn good thing I wasn't born in the 1600s when you had to grow your own food. I.would have starved before turning 20.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at November 05, 2022 02:59 PM (vti7G)

60 What's up, Tiger Lily?

Posted by: Dr. Varno at November 05, 2022 03:00 PM (X+Ku8)

61 I still have large potted begonias just like these:

tinyurl.com/28c2hw98

Check out pic #2, mine were as beautiful as that ...until the recent gusty winds beat them all to heck. They look soooo sad now. Time for the mercy kill, methinks.

Posted by: JQ at November 05, 2022 03:01 PM (dpnJh)

62 >>>Damn good thing I wasn't born in the 1600s when you had to grow your own food. I.would have starved before turning 20.

Posted by: Dave in Fla

>Eat a lot of meat. How many ways can you cook a gator?

Posted by: Dr. Bone at November 05, 2022 03:02 PM (geVLo)

63 Mr. Zack's old man had a pomegranate tree in his yard, but the constant presence of bees, wasps and territorial birds guarding the tree made its use not worthwhile.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at November 05, 2022 03:04 PM (X+Ku8)

64 Posted by: Notsothoreau at November 05, 2022 02:20 PM (uz3Px)

Didn't you move recently? Maybe wait until Spring, or even a whole year before changing the landscape. Ya never know what lovely surprises might pop outta the ground in the new place.

Posted by: JQ at November 05, 2022 03:13 PM (dpnJh)

65 I always love when Neal comes to visit. His pictures are so beautiful. Also: "A Romance in Three Pictures" by Neal in Israel.

Posted by: AlmostYuman at November 05, 2022 03:15 PM (lQKz7)

66 Green tomatoes in oil and vinegar.

Layer sliced tomatoes in a colander lightly salting each one. Put a plate over it to squeeze out the water. A few hours or overnight is good. LIGHTLY rinse and pat dry. Put in a bowl and add garlic, oregano, oil and vinegar. Pack into a ball jars and refrigerate. They last a long time in the fridge.

Posted by: dartist at November 05, 2022 03:16 PM (9X/y4)

67 Time for the mercy kill, methinks.
Posted by: JQ at November 05, 2022 03:01 PM (dpnJh)

Maybe just cut them back? I would think the roots would still be okay and would push up lovely new growth.

Posted by: Emmie at November 05, 2022 03:17 PM (Emce2)

68 >I need to come up with a fake malady to keep from having to deal with the leaves in the yard.

Posted by: Weasel

Do ten minutes of rake duty.
Claim a pulled muscle in your back.
Run hot bath.
Pour liberal adult beverage.
Enjoy bath.
Invite WW in to massage back.
Give her a wink...she'll forget about the leaves.

Posted by: Diogenes at November 05, 2022 03:18 PM (anj39)

69 Crotchety Old Jarhead,

I was so desperate to move my raspberry and irises that I dumped them in garbage bags and stuck them in the car. They are starting to recover. The bags took up less room than pots.

I can dig down in some spots but only in the rain soaked level. So I think I'll start holes, fill with water, then dig some more. I have bagged top soil to plant with.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at November 05, 2022 03:20 PM (uz3Px)

70 40 Miles North at November 05, 2022 02:46 PM

Hey! Good to see you!

Posted by: KT at November 05, 2022 03:23 PM (rrtZS)

71 Emmie, I'd have brought them indoors if I'd had the space. It gets too cold here, they will die outdoors anyway. Maybe can dig them up and store until Spring?

Posted by: JQ at November 05, 2022 03:23 PM (dpnJh)

72 We've decided to relocate back to Texas in preparation for retirement. I gotta figure out how to move a few of my gladiolus, day lillies and lemon drop poker plants I put in this last spring. The moving company won't do plants. Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at November 05, 2022 02:54

Dig them up right before you head out, put in a plastic-lined box with shallow layer of soil to keep them from drying out completely, keep out of sunlight. Should survive a few days in the car with you.

Posted by: JQ at November 05, 2022 04:00 PM (dpnJh)

73 Late post, was playing game in basement so signal was poor.
Still have tomatoes and peppers growing
But not going to get much out of them. Started leaf collection

Posted by: Skip's phone at November 05, 2022 04:36 PM (yKC3e)

74 Thanks to all who send the beautiful photos of flowers and fruit. I truly enjoy seeing them. We're still having warm weather here in the mid-Atlantic and a lot of flowers are still blooming. @31 - I'm not an expert, but I think the best way to deadhead hydrangeas is to cut the stem just below the flower head and above the first set of leaves when the flower starts to turn brown and dry up. (can probably do the same on the re-bloom as well.)

Posted by: the Pilot at November 05, 2022 08:40 PM (Y3cec)

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